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Origin of "Messing and Gomming?"
Guest
1
2008/09/15 - 9:13pm

Does anyone have any theories as to the origin of the term “messing and gomming?” The first time I can recall hearing this term was about 10-15 years ago from my mother or one of my grandparents when they were talking about someone who was “up all night messing and gomming.” I thought that “messing and gomming” was a really weird term (and I still do). I can remember asking a cousin what it meant, and she defined it as “being very busy but accomplishing nothing.” I tend to associate this term with elderly folks who might have a slight touch of dementia (I don't want to get too gross, but it almost sounds like it has something to do with bodily functions), but if the Google results that I got from “messing and gomming” are any indication, younger people can “mess and gom” too (one usage example I found was “I shouldn't be messing and gomming with soap in the kitchen”).

The “messing” part of this doesn't seem to hard to figure out (the OED says that “mess” without the particles “with” or “up” can be a verb, but most of these meanings are related to serving food), but I'm not too clear on what “gomming” is (the OED has a few definitions for “gom,” but they're archaic words [one is a euphemism for "God"] that don't have anything to do with “messing and gomming.”) I have a feeling that “messing and gomming” is probably a regional term (I'm from West Texas), but I'm not sure. Anyone have any ideas?

trust me
2
2008/09/19 - 10:05am

Here in Kentucky I've heard "messing and gomming" and "mucking and gomming" all my life, so it isn't just a Texas expression. My google search led me here because I wanted to type "making a muck and a gom" and wasn't sure how to spell it, thus, here I am.

My search for the word, it's spelling and its origins is as fruitless as yours, so far.

ShugarShocked
3
2008/09/19 - 10:48pm

Well, when all else fails, give it a nautical origin, right?

Only kidding, but Merriam Webster does inspire with this tempting seaworthy tidbit for the similar sounding "gamming"

gam [ gam ]

noun (plural gams)

1. migrating whales: a group of migrating whales

2. social visit between whalers: a social visit between whalers or other sailors, especially while at sea ( informal )

verb (past and past participle gammed, present participle gam ·ming, 3rd person present singular gams)

1. intransitive verb meet up: to meet socially, especially at sea

2. transitive verb to chat with somebody: to visit with somebody socially

[Mid-19th century. Origin ?]

Messing and gamming, eatin' and chattin' i.e. fooling around? Smells like a plausible word myth...

My theory falls apart if you can do it alone in the kitchen with soap though... hmmm...

CE
4
2008/11/21 - 9:47pm

My grandparents from WVA who had a strong Irish lineage used the phrase "all gommed up" -a mess, a problem, a bad relationship. I was also looking fro spelling assist when I discovered this link. Would like more info re origin.

Irene419
5
2008/12/04 - 11:54am

I recall my mother (born and raised in the SW part of WV just a few miles from the KY border) saying to me most of my life, "stop messing and gomming". My mom is of Irish/English descent, but I have no idea where the word "gom" originates.

Guest
6
2014/11/15 - 2:46pm

My mother was not senile and she always referred to us messing and gomming when we were making a mess and gomming up the kitchen or other areas.  In other ways, wasting time and accomplishing nothing except leave everything messier than we found it.

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